Wick for lubricators



June 24 1924.

1,499,01 1 A. H. GITS WICK FOR I-UBRICATORS Filed Aug. 28. 1923 Fgz llllllljfi Alphona H. Gib.

Patented June 24, 192% s STATES n v 7 Mean ALPHONS H. OF CHIGAGG. ILLINOIS.

WIGK 110B; LUBRICATOBS,

Application filed August 28, 1923.

To all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that I, ALrHoNs H. GITs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Wicks for Lubricators: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, 7

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lubricating devices, and particularly to wicks for feeding a liquid lubricant to a moving part, and its bearing, by capillary action.

One object of the invention is to provide an improi'ed wick of this character which can be maintained in contact with the moving part by means of a spring, and be caused to advance toward the part as the contacting end wears away.

Another object is to provide a wick of this character which is so constructed that it will operate to feed lubricant to a hearing from any position with respect to the bearing, that is from above, below, or from the sides.

Another object is to provide a wick of this character wherein the separable por tion which engages the moving part to be lubricated is done away with and the urging spring engaged directly with a portion of the integral wick= 7 Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. 7

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an oil cup associated with a bearing and showing the improved wick therein, the device being arranged to feed oil to the upper side of the bearing.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the wick removed from the cup.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of the wick with the wires partly untwisted from the portion of smaller diameter.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the wicking before twisting.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing there is shown a ball and socket joint including the socket portion and the ball portion, shown respectively at 11 and .Sei'ial No. 659,803.

12, the socket portion having an internally threaded boss 13 on its upper side for the reception of the threaded nipple 14: of the bottom of the oil cup 15. Extending vertically and centrally within the oil cup, and BO rising from the upper end of the nipple 14, is a small tube 16, for reception of the lower portion of the wick, which is represented as a whole by the numeral 17. The cup is arranged to contain oil, which sur rounds the tube 16, and into which the other end of thewick normally is disposed! The lower end of the wick extends through the nipple 14 and frictionally bears against the face of the ball 12, to supply lubricant thereto.

The wick includes the strip of felt 18 and the twisted wires 19, engaged therearound, said wires being twisted with the felt strip for approximately one-half of the length of the strip, as clearly seen in Figure 2.

The end of the wick which engages with the ball 12, and indicated by the numeral 20, is of greater diameter than the adjacent portion, while the remaining portion is of slightly greater diameter than the intermediate portion, but not quite as large as the engaging end 20. The intermediate portion is indicated by the numeral 21, and the unwired, or flexible portion, indicated by the numeral 22.

Two wire strands 19 are placed on or against the opposite side faces of the strip of felt, at one end thereof, and then the wires and felt twisted, resulting in the portion 20, which is comparatively large in diameter. The remaining portions of the wire strands are then twisted, together with the corresponding portion of the felt strip, to produce the tightly twisted portion 21. The portion 22 is in the normal condition of the entire strip before the twisting operation.

The portion 20, as shown in Figure 1, is disposed in the nipple and bears with its end, against the face of the ball 12. The intermediate portion 21 is disposed vertically within the tube 16. while the portion 22 curves over the upper end of the tube and depends into the oil in the cup. By capillary action the oil passes up the portion 22, and down the portions 20 and 21 to the face of the ball 12, thereby supplying oil, coustantly, to the ball, and the socket,

In the inner end of the nipple, or at the junction of the nipple and tube 16, there is formed a shoulder 23, and disposed in the nipple, in encircling relation to the intermediate portion of the wicln is a coil spring :24, one end of which bears against the said shoulder 23, while the other end bears against the shoulder 20 at the inner end of the portion 20, of the wick. This spring normally urges the wick into contact with the ball, and maintains the same in such contact, advancing the wick as the bearing end wears down. It will readily be seen that as the wired portion of the wick is pushed down into contact with the ball, and

is drawn through the tube 16, the flexible end 22 will readily follow, while maintaining its terminal in the oil. The peculiar manner in which the wire and felt are treated to produce the larger end, produces the shoulder 20 which obviates the remow able terminal before-mentioned.

The attention is particularly called to the fact that the showing of the wick is somewhat exaggerated for the purpose of ten dering it plain as to the arrangement of the wires and felt of the wick. In the actual practice with the wick of the proper size, the wires would not be visible, in the manner illustrated, but would be practically hidden within the fibers of the felt portion of the wick.

hat is claimed is:

1 A lubricating wick comprising a fabric strip twisted together with a wire strand and having its major portion of lesser diameter than its minor portion resulting in a bearing shoulder for a spring.

2. A lubricating wick comprising a tabric strip having its major portion of constant width and its minor portion of constant but greater width and twisted with a wire strand whereby the minor portion of the resultant wick will be or" greater diameter than the major portion to provide a bearing shoulder for a spring.

3. A lubricating wick comprising a fabric strip having its major portion of constant width and its minor portion of constant but greater width than the major portion, the strip being twisted with a plurality of strands of wire throughout the length of the minor portion and a part of the major portion whereby the minor portion will be of greater diameter than the major portion to produce a shoulder against which a spring is adapted to hear.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

ALPHONS H. GITS. lVitnesses WM. F. MAIsH, CHAS. Rosso. 

